DRAMYEN (Damyan, Dranyen, Dramyin, Tungana)

The dramyen is a folk rabab found in most of the Himalayan region. The number of strings varies from place to place, but 4, 5, 6, or 7 seems to be common. The names also vary from region to region, where local versions may be called Damyan, Dramyen, Dranyen, Dramyin (curiously enough sometimes spelled as sgrna-snyan), or Tungana. Sizes too may vary, the Nepali Tungana tends to be smaller than the Tibetian Dramyen. Manuscripts from the Moghul period indicate that at one time, this form of rabab was very common in northern India, however today it is confined to the Himalayan regions.